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One of the pleasures of living in my
current home is the wide variety of flora and fauna in my yard. Lizards of
every shape and size run through the bushes. After it rains, I often find
baby frogs sneaking in under the front door. Every time I am working in the
kitchen during the day I can look out into the backyard and see multitudes
of squirrels frolicking in the trees and on the ground.
In addition to the animals, a
variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers greet my eyes every time I step out
into the front yard. I especially enjoy the flowering plants that grow
alongside the fence on the side of the yard. These plants, which are called
Lantana, bloom with hosts of tiny flowers and are quite a sight to behold.
However, being that it is Florida, they grow rapidly and if not cut back
from time to time get very spindly and, well, not very pleasant to the eye.
However, when I take the time to prune them, they become even more
beautiful. They bloom with many flowers that display different gorgeous
shades of yellow.
Plants are not the only thing that
need to be cut back in order to bloom, Christians do, as well. This is what
Jesus tells us in John 15: 1-2. He is the vine and those of us that are in
Him are His branches. The Father lovingly tends His vine, pruning the
branches so that we may bear more and more fruit over the course of our
lives.
God’s pruning work often involves
suffering. Sometimes this suffering is, as Hebrews 12 tells us, discipline
for our sin so that we may grow in holiness. Though this suffering is not
pleasant at the time, we can often later see how God has used it to make us
bear good fruit.
I do not like to be pruned. I do
not like it when God allows hardship to come into my life. Yet, I also know
that although suffering might be painful today, I will see its good
tomorrow. When I submit to God’s chastening hand, asking Him how and why He
is disciplining me, I become more aware of my own sin and my need to avoid
it at all costs. I become aware of my need to become more conformed to His
image.
Most importantly, I become more
aware of His grace. I realize that His discipline comes from love and it is
for my good. I realize that the hand of discipline will not last forever
and that after I have been cut back I will bloom. As God prunes me, I
become more beautiful to His eyes.
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